February 6, 2023

Next month will mark my fifth year as Public Health Director for Marshall County. I quote Gretchen Rubin when I say, “the days are long, but the years are short.” Since taking this position in March of 2018, we have overcome the trials and tribulations of the Kentucky pension crisis, an overhaul of the Kentucky public health system, and the COVID19 pandemic. Not only did the Marshall County Health Department Team meet and overcome these challenges, we did it in style! Through these trying times we completed a thorough agency strategic plan, achieved national accreditation status through the Public Health Accreditation Board, and completed our third Community Health Assessment and Community Health Improvement Plan. At the time of our accreditation in February 2021, we were the 269^th health department out of 2,700 in the United States to achieve this prestigious status placing us in the top 10% in the nation! To say that I am proud of our staff at the Marshall County Health Department would be an understatement! I am elated and honored to be a part of this Team!

As much as we enjoy celebrating great achievements, our work for you behind the scenes continues. Our Team here at MCHD will continue to meet and exceed national standards as we ensure you and your families have a safe environment in which to live, work, and play. We continue to use reliable real time data to evaluate public health priorities. We continue to collaborate with our community partners to find viable solutions to address our public health priorities. We continue to provide quality education for our youth and entire community. We continue to provide in house services for vaccinations, medical screenings, nutritional counseling, family planning, and other important services. We continue to assist new parents with education and resources to help them safely care for their children. We are also excited to venture into newer territories such as providing community health worker services and expanding our harm reduction program. Feel free to browse our webpage to help increase your understanding of what we do for our community and our passion behind it. It is my honor to be a part of this great team serving as your Public Health Director. I am not bashful when I say the Marshall County Health Department is the best in the state!

Billy Pitts
Public Health Director